Border Patrol Rescues 5-Year-Old Honduran Girl from Rio Grande River

The U.S. Border Patrol rescued a 5-year-old Honduran girl from the Rio Grande River, the international boundary between the U.S. and Mexico in Texas. The ordeal occurred near Eagle Pass, Texas and authorities say the child was struggling to stay afloat.

At approximately 2:30 AM Central, 11 illegal immigrants were noticed attempting to illegally enter the United States. A 24-year-old Honduran national female began struggling to stay afloat and let go of the child, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the parent agency for the Border Patrol.

Authorities say the 24-year-old was the older sister of the 5-year-old girl.

A Border Patrol agent immediately jumped in the river to rescue the child once they saw her begin struggling. The child had disappeared under the water approximately 25 yards in front of the Border Patrol agent. The Border Patrol agent was able to locate the child and bring her to the U.S. side of the river’s shore.

Shawn Moran, Vice-President of the National Border Patrol Council, spoke with Breitbart Texas on this matter and said, “The selfless actions by the Border Patrol agent exemplify the challenges agents face every day. With no thought for his own safety, he risked his life to make sure that a child did not lose its life.” He added, “While groups continue to vilify agents, these agents continue to attempt to secure the border and when necessary save the same people attempting to illegally enter the US. The altruistic actions by this Border Patrol agent were in keeping with the finest traditions of the US Border Patrol.”

The CBP’s 2013 Fiscal Year Report reveals that a total of 445 illegal immigrants lost their lives attempting to illegally enter the U.S. last year. The report does not indicate the number of children who lose their lives attempting to illegally enter the United States.

Sylvia Longmire, Breitbart Texas’ border security expert and contributing editor, said, “This incident points out that some migrants are so desperate to reach the US that they will place their children or young siblings in physical danger. This is not the choice of these children, and highlights how broken the entire immigration system is that some migrants feel justified in subjecting a 5 year-old to this kind of suffering.” She noted, “Many will hear these kinds of stories and think twice about risking their children’s lives; others will take their chances regardless.”

Longmire felt the incident highlights the importance and value of the Border Patrol’s crucial search and rescue mission. She said, “The media loves to crucify the Border Patrol for the 43 shooting incidents agents have been in during a 3-year span, but you’ll never read about the hundreds, if not thousands, of migrant lives they save every single year. I’ve seen how these agents and canines train for this mission first-hand, and the one-sidedness of the media in not covering that aspect of the border mission is appalling.”

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